History

The origins of rye whiskey in the United States date back to colonial America, when early European settlers brought with them the tradition of distilling excess grains from their farms into whiskey. For over a century, the production of rye whiskey centered around Pennsylvania and Maryland, where large numbers of Scottish and Irish immigrants had settled. The popularity of rye whiskey grew steadily among the colonists, and when the British blockade of American ports during the American Revolutionary War prevented the importation of rum, rye whiskey became America's drink of choice.

Inspired by America’s rich rye heritage, this 18-year-old follows the late great Robert Cooper’s (a third-generation distiller), Lock Stock and Barrel 16-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey. This unique rye was crafted using some stock he held back from Lock Stock’s 2012 release of their 12-year-old rye. One of the few who single-handedly transformed the cocktail world when he released St. Germain in 2007, Cooper passed away unexpectedly in 2016 at the age of just 39, leaving the release of incredible expression bittersweet.

This enticing new Lock Stock and Barrel release is aged an astounding 18 years. Double distilled from a rare mash bill of 100 percent rye grain, the “robust cut” is meticulously hand selected by distillers before being aged in new charred American Oak barrels in a cold climate. Its lengthy time in the barrel true harmonizes this spirit. “Lock Stock & Barrel 18-year is explosively flavorful and intense, yet perfectly balanced with notes that suggest hot, buttered gingerbread, dried peach, toasted pecan, ripe honeydew and tobacco leaf” (producer). This 100% Canadian rye whiskey is bottled at a solid 109 proof.